A bill inspired by the killing of a Kelowna, B.C., woman is officially becoming law.
Bill C-225, known as Bailey’s Law, received royal assent on Wednesday, one day after passing third reading in the Senate.
“She will never be forgotten and her daughters will know that she has left behind a legacy, a legacy that will make a difference,” said an emotional Debbie Henderson, Bailey’s aunt and family spokesperson, at a news conference in the House of Commons shortly after the bill received royal assent.
The legislation introduces a series of reforms aimed at addressing intimate partner violence. It was championed by the family of Bailey McCourt and Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola Conservative MP Frank Caputo.
“Royal assent is when the Governor General signs the bill into law, so nothing can change it now,” Caputo said.
“This will now be law in the Criminal Code of Canada. We will see these changes on the books within 30 days.”
The law is named after Bailey McCourt, a 32-year-old mother of two, who was killed after an attack in a Kelowna parking lot on July 4, 2025.
Her estranged husband, James Plover, has been charged with first-degree murder and is scheduled to stand trial in 2027.
Bailey’s Law introduces several changes to the Criminal Code, including the creation of a distinct offence for intimate partner violence, allowing incidents to be tracked separately from general assaults.
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The legislation also creates new provisions that allow killings linked to a pattern of coercive or controlling behaviour in intimate relationships to be treated as first-degree murder.
“Bailey did everything that was asked of her by the system, and this system failed her, and it fails many others,” Henderson said.
She said the strengthened sentencing provisions will provide some reassurance to families affected by intimate partner violence.
“With that comes along a sentence that is 25 years to life and gives families an opportunity to breathe, not having to worry about attending parole hearings anytime soon,” she said.
Caputo, who introduced the private member’s bill last fall, called the legislation’s passage a significant achievement.
“This is a huge day. It’s a victory,” he said.
Caputo added he was particularly encouraged by the bipartisan support and the speed with which the bill moved through Parliament, especially given the fact many private member bills don’t see the light of day.
“I don’t think we’ve ever seen a private member’s bill make it through in less than a year,” Caputo said.
“The fact that we were able to react so quickly on this, that’s something that I’ll take with me to the end of my parliamentary career.”
While celebrating the legislative milestone, Henderson said more work remains to be done and is calling on the province to introduce additional protections for victims of intimate partner violence.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m here for the fight,” she said. “We want to see GPS monitoring with geofencing, mobile geofencing, and real-time alerts to the victims. This is what will help keep them safe.”
Bailey’s Law comes into effect as McCourt’s family prepares to mark the first anniversary of her death on July 4.
The community is being invited to join family and friends at Cupcasions on Kent Road that day from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The event will also serve as a fundraiser to help support advocacy work for further changes to better protect victims of intimate partner violence.
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